The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to patient positioning and imaging systems and more particularly, to imaging systems capable of moving a patient between different axial positions to scan the patient.
Multi-modality imaging systems can scan a region of interest (ROI) of a patient using different imaging modalities. For example, multi-modality imaging systems may include Computed Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Positron Emission Tomography (PET), radiography, and/or Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) imaging systems. In these multi-modality imaging systems, the different modality units have respective field of views (FOVs) at different axial locations. During operation, a patient is moved to a first FOV where an image of the ROI is obtained and then moved to a second FOV where another image of the ROI is obtained. A doctor or medical technician (or the system) may then merge the data of the plurality of images from same or different modalities.
However, conventional multi-modality imaging systems may suffer from certain problems. For example, conventional multi-modality imaging systems use movable imaging pallets to transport the patient to one or more FOVs. The entire imaging pallet is supported in a cantilevered manner and moved (i.e., extended) into a bore of the imaging system. However, when the imaging pallet is extended into the bore, the imaging pallet may sag due to a weight of the patient. Such sagging may adversely affect the images of the ROI and may also adversely affect any processing of the data to merge the different images.
To address the sagging problem, conventional imaging pallet may have an increased thickness that is capable supporting the weight of heavy patients. However, the thickened imaging pallet may absorb more energy from the imaging system when an image of the ROI is obtained. This attenuation may distort or reduce the quality of the image. Furthermore, increasing a size of the imaging pallet may limit the ability of scanning detectors to move about the patient.
Also, depending upon the imaging modality being used, certain geometries of the imaging pallet may cause artifacts of the images. Accordingly, each imaging modality may require a different pallet geometry to reduce the artifacts. However, since the imaging pallet moves with the patient when the patient is moved between the different FOVs, it is difficult to change the geometry of the imaging pallet that supports the ROI of the patient.